Dr. Jessica Szczuka leads the INTITEC research group at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, and is affiliated with the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Justice at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. With an interdisciplinary background in psychology and computer science, she has conducted empirical research for more than a decade on how computers and AI systems shape human relationships. Her current research lies at the intersection of psychology, artificial intelligence, and justice, focusing on (1) social and intimate relationships with AI systems and AI’s impact on human relationships, (2) self-disclosure, privacy, and relationship formation in human-AI interaction, and (3) the psychological, societal, and legal implications of AI-generated sexual abuse material, particularly regarding the protection of vulnerable groups such as women and children. Dr. Szczuka is a member of Die Junge Akademie, Germany’s interdisciplinary academy for outstanding early-career researchers.
